[game_edu] New Demographics Report?

[Jason Della Rocca]

Hi all,

Just to follow-up on a few items...

The intern worked with us for less than two months. A couple of weeks
were used think about what project he was going to do, etc. Then a few
weeks for coming up with a good set of questions. Then some effort to
push the survey out (via IGDA newsletter, via SIGs and chapters, via
Gamasutra, etc). Then some waiting for results to come in. Then a few
weeks to crunch the data and write the first draft. Then I spent maybe
another week or so polishing into the final draft.

A 2010 version of the survey could be turned around really quickly if:
- just repeat the same questions
- implement the survey (see below)
- work with IGDA HQ to promote the survey (as above)
- "fill in" the report with the new numbers, add some time-lapse bits

Should be super easy.

Regarding the survey tool. We installed Lime Survey:
http://www.limesurvey.org/

This is no longer running on the new IGDA survey, so you'd have to
implement something/somewhere new...


That would be the quickest/easiest way. And given it would be a repeat
of the same questions, would provide the most consistency for time
based analysis.

If you want to get all fancy and refurbish things, well, mileage may vary...

(Given the usual constraints, I'd tend toward the easiest route
possible. The value of have updated "basic" numbers now is way more
important than having some theoretical perfect set of numbers maybe
hopefully at some point in the future. IMHO.)


PS: Bill, feel free to re-post any of my comments!

Regards,
Jason




On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 10:07 PM, Beth Aileen Lameman
<beth at bethaileen.com> wrote:

> Oops! I meant Sheri referred me to the Game Edu SIG. Gordon referred

> me to the intern background.

>

> I am hoping that someone out there can turn this into a RA position at

> a university, since it would result in numerous publications. Numerous

> fields could approach this, including even data visualization, since

> there may be unique ways to visually represent the results that could

> be referred by many researchers.

>

> Whoever takes it on is sure to have an immense amount of academic

> research and use as references.

>

> Is it correct that the survey system is still up and useable and would

> just need to be updated? Michelle, we could definitely use the help of

> every SIG to refurbish/update/reword the interview questions. We have

> the time to do it!

>

> - Beth

>

>

> On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 6:41 PM, Sheri Rubin

> <sheri at designdirectdeliver.com> wrote:

>> We are. :) I asked Beth to bring it up on the listserv since she's the one

>> who asked if we could do it again. We still rely on volunteers doing most of

>> the work for the org and Beth is an awesome volunteer (and she didn't even

>> pay me to say that)!

>>

>> On 11/23/2010 8:08 PM, Michelle Hinn wrote:

>>

>> I can add that from how useful the questions were for the accessibility SIG,

>> well...we had wished that other questions had been asked. So getting more

>> feedback (thus challenging the SIGs that have the expertise to help form

>> questions in the least offensive way, in the most useful ways, etc) would be

>> what I'd depend on a SIG for. The overall survey should be something that

>> comes from the top down IMHO -- so the new leadership in the IGDA should be

>> pushing for this and helping organize it to make it happen.

>>

>> Michelle

>>

>> On Nov 23, 2010, at 2:07 PM, Jason Della Rocca wrote:

>>

>> Hi all,

>>

>> Oh yes, would be awesome to do a refresh on the workforce demographics

>> survey! Actually, it was always the plan to do it every year...

>>

>> As a bit of background, the survey was NOT handled by the SIGs.

>>

>> Out of the blue, I got an email from an anthropology student who was

>> looking to do a summer internship/co-op (paid for by the school) and

>> wanted to come work at the IGDA and look into the question of gender

>> in games.

>>

>> After discussing options, we settled on the idea of doing a more

>> comprehensive demographics survey and report. He did the bulk of the

>> survey creation and administration. And he worked with the Women in

>> Games SIG and Diversity Committee and the Accessibility SIG to get

>> their input/feedback on the questions.

>>

>> The student also did the bulk of the analysis and the first draft of

>> the report before his internship was done. I did the final version of

>> report. Again, the various SIGs/committees had a chance to review

>> drafts and provide feedback.

>>

>> Not sure relying on a SIG to do it will get us very far... Good news

>> is that we did post the survey file and the raw data online. So,

>> re-administering it and crunching some comparisons will be less

>> painful....

>>

>> Regards,

>> Jason

>>

>>

>> On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 1:15 PM, Bill Crosbie <bill.crosbie at gmail.com>

>> wrote:

>>

>> Beth,

>>

>> This is a great idea.  That report came out of the diversity SIG.  I

>> know there was talk on the IGDA facebook stream asking about the

>> status of both the LGBT and Diversity SIGs and there were several

>> people discussing the need to reboot/kickstart that group.

>>

>> I'll post a request and see if anyone from that group picks up on

>> it/gets back with some more information.

>>

>> Bill

>>

>> -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

>> It is humbling almost to the point of despair to discover that 15

>> dozen screenfuls of ponderous commentary produced by a small

>> liberal-arts faculty worth of beardy gamer geeks can, with almost zero

>> loss of insight, be reduced to the three panels of a Penny Arcade

>> cartoon.

>> ~ Julian Dibbell quoted in Wired (September 2007)

>>

>>

>>

>> On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 11:21 AM, Beth Aileen Lameman

>> <beth at bethaileen.com> wrote:

>>

>> Hey everyone! I hate to throw out an idea that I have no resources to

>> follow-up on myself, but...

>>

>> I frequently use the Diversity Survey/Demographics Report

>> (http://archives.igda.org/diversity/report.php) as a reference in

>> articles and it's starting to feel awfully outdated. 2005 was forever

>> ago! (Scary.)

>>

>> I am hoping that someone out there will be able to take on running a

>> new survey and following up with reports.

>>

>> _______________________________________________

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>>

>>

>>

>> --

>> Jason Della Rocca

>> Senior Consultant

>> Perimeter Partners

>>

>> tel: +1-514-426-1162

>> fax: +1-514-426-1201

>> Jason at PerimeterPartners.com

>>

>> Montreal, Canada

>> --

>> http://www.PerimeterPartners.com/

>> http://www.RealityPanic.com/

>> --

>> "Do or do not. There is no try."

>> - Yoda

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>>

>>

>> --

>> Sheri Rubin

>> Founder and CEO

>>

>> Design Direct Deliver

>> Website: http://www.designdirectdeliver.com

>> Email: sheri at designdirectdeliver.com

>>

>> _______________________________________________

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>>

>>

>

>

>

> --

> Beth Aileen Lameman, Ph.D. (ABD) | http://www.bethaileen.com

> Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace | http://www.abtec.org

> Simon Fraser University - Interactive Arts & Technology | http://siat.sfu.ca

> _______________________________________________

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>




-- 
Jason Della Rocca
Senior Consultant
Perimeter Partners

tel: +1-514-426-1162
fax: +1-514-426-1201
Jason at PerimeterPartners.com

Montreal, Canada
--
http://www.PerimeterPartners.com/
http://www.RealityPanic.com/
--
"Do or do not. There is no try."
- Yoda